Edwin Dews

Age 22 years. Enlisted April 23, 1861 at New York City; mustered in as Sergeant, Company B on May 4, to serve two years. He was promoted First Sergeant on December 23, 1861.

In his after-action report, Colonel Kimball said "I cannot close this report without calling your special attention to ... Sergeants Dews, Whitney (wounded), and Schmidt; Corporals Farrell (wounded) Cornell and Roberts, Company B..."

He was commissioned Second Lieutenant on October 20, 1862, with rank from September 30,1862. He mustered out with his company May 20, 1863. Listing his residence as New Bedford and age as 24, he was then commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Company B, 3rd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery on 18 June. He was promoted to First Lieutenant on 23 May 1864 and Captain on 8 September 1864. He may have led the honor guard attending President Lincoln's body at the US Capitol in April 1865, and was discharged 18 September 1865.

He was honored by brevet to Major on 13 March 1865. He was a manufacturing stationer and book dealer in New Bedford, MA from 1866 until 1894 when the business failed. By 1879 he was also a member of the New Bedford Yacht Club. About 1889 he became president of the Strange Forged Drill Company and was a director of the Board of Trade. He was a trustee of the Five Cents Savings Bank from 1877-95.

Service data from State of New York1 and the Massachusetts AG2. Business details from Leading manufacturers and merchants of eastern Massachusetts (New York: International Publishing, 1887), New Bedford, Massachusetts: Its History, Industries, Institutions (Board of Trade, 1889), and the New York Daily Tribune of 11 March 1894, pg. 24. Life dates from the Journal of the 39th Annual Encampment (Boston: Dept of Mass., GAR, 1905)

1840 in ENGLAND

06/11/1904; Boston, MA